www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Vatican III: 2050 and the Pan-Orthodox Council of 2070, Part I

Vatican III: 2050

A Short Story:

It's the year 2050; the Holy Father has convened another Council to restore the Church. The Latin Church in the US and most European Countries has been divided by a great schism. Those who remained faithful to Rome were removed from their parishes in most circumstances and are priestless, many have just stayed with the "New Church" as it is called. The African, Latin and Asian Conferences Stayed with Rome, but are still plagued by dissent; many bishops are "ordaining" women and allowing laypeople to preside and "consecrate" eucharists.

The Eastern Catholic Churches were also wrenched with schisms as well. The Ruthenian Metropolia was split down the middle; one part going under the Newly Established American Patriarchate (a union of the OCA, GOA, ROCOR, AA, and all the other canonically recognized Jurisdictions) and the other part staying under Rome, but putting a final ultimatum down that if full and complete autocephally is not granted with this next council that they will completely leave Rome. His Excellency Metroplitan Makarios declared, "that the horrendous abuses, against the divine and holy Orthodox Catholic Faith, of the Latins and the continous historical disregard for the terms of the Unias by Rome force us to make a historical decision: either to return to Orthodoxy or see results with this Council that meet our demands."

The Ukrainians stayed with Rome with the proviso that the Pope crack down on the dissenting Conferences and restore the liturgy under consultation with them. The Melkites completely broke from Rome with only a few parishes left who were placed directly under the Pope who appointed a Exarch for them. The Russian Catholic Church, the third largest Eastern Catholic Church, has completely spread throughout the Russian Federation. It has spread through the efforts of Vladyka Nikolai who valiantly championed and almost offered his life for the rights of the Catholic Church in Russia.

The Russian Orthodox Church (MP) in aggreements with ROCOR in Russia decided to jointly elect a new Patriarch that is satisfactory for both parties. After the election ROCOR canonically recognized the Patriarchate and dissolved its seperate identity by a final Synodical decision.

The other Eastern Catholic Churches in Communion with Rome decided to form a committee with the Ruthenians and the Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchate to help guide the Council toward the goal of damage control, unity and restoration.

The Pope during the Council Anathematized, as Trent and Vatican I, before it every heresy since the time of the Early Church and every modern heresy. It masterfully interpreted Vatican II as a Council ad experimentum. That it was convened at the wrong time in history and that many of its documents were agenda based and flawed. Vatican III solemnly declared "Whereas the Second Vatican Council was convened in the Holy Spirit nevertheless a critical analysis, in light of Tradition, has showed that it has serious doctrinal errors." The Council also declared that, " In light of almost a hundred years of experience with the fruits of that Council; this Council solemly decrees in the Holy Spirit that Vatican II shall ever be interpreted as an ecclesial experiment that failed miserably to the division of Christ's One True Church and we repent in the Name of Jesus Christ of the offenses and blasphemies against the awesome Majesty of the Holy Trinity that followed it."

Vatican III sought the help of the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches to aid in restoration of the Roman Liturgy, the Creation of a New Code of Canon Law, and a restoration of patristic ecclesiology and theology. The Pope created a Catholic-Orthodox Consilium to restore the Roman Liturgy. The Orthodox suggested the use of the Pre-Trenten Gregorian Sacramentary with some ecumenical changes made upon suggestion by the Orthodox. The Missale Romanum was finished by 2055 and was promulagated in December of 2056. The Pope issued a warning, "Any Conference not implementing the new Missal by March of 2057 would be placed on interdict and all bishops would be replaced immediately. Any dissension was met with a sentence of automatic excommunication. The Vatican Secretary of State worked with Nations on getting back property from the schismatic National Catholic Conferences that left Rome over women priests and moral issues.

The New Roman Liturgy was a masterpiece. Patriarch Alexios of Constantinople now residing in Greece, declared "this new approach of Rome is refreshing to the Orthodox; their seeking our advice on matters of Church Government and Liturgy brought us untold joy. They now have a fully restored Liturgy and the abuses so often reported have been checked by Rome. We Orthodox welcome this new movement within Rome and herald the day when we may commemorate Old Rome as an Orthodox Patriarchate, we will see what happens at our next Pan-Orthodox Council being held in Athens in 2070 in regard to further reconciliation between us."

In the year 2070 the Orthodox held their Pan-Orthodox Council in Athens, Greece. With the Pope present before the Holy Altar kneeling before the Patriarch of Constantinople His Holiness was reconciled to the Orthodox Church, with the annointing of the Holy Myron by His All-Holiness Alexios; the Patriachate of Rome with all the Churches in Communion with it were now Orthodox; When the Pope of Rome rose to embrace the Patriarch of Constantinople His All-Holiness in a most exuberant strain chanted the Many Years for the Pope and led him to the Cathedra to sit as first among equals amongst his Brethren. All the Eastern Catholic Churches were re-united with their Mother Churches or were decreed to remain as they are if they did not have a cooresponding Church in Orthodoxy. At this Council the Liturgy was not touched as was feared; And many vagante groups were reconciled with the Church during the Council as they came en masse to be received. Now that the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church were now one body, they totalled more than 5 billion members. What a joy and a blessing that was. But the problems were not over; was this just peace before the storm?

Wait to find out in the next issue....

Tell me what you think. Feel free to post your stories as well..

In Christ,


Robert H

A masterpiece in fiction, but a complete failure in reality: Nobody will agree whose recipe will be used for the pierogies.

Thanks. I thought I would give it a shot; I hope you all like it

In the Mother of the Light,


Rob

Dear Rob and Cantor Joe,

Don't give up hope yet.

If the Council could get everyone to agree to use the same brand of sour cream with the pierogies unilaterally, then perhaps an effective union agreement could be reached anyway . . .

Alex

Dear All,

If agreement could be reached to allow cottage cheese OR sour cream or a mixture on the pierogis, the many sides could see the good faith of the participants and union could proceed!

With mouth watering,

Steve

Dear Steve,

I withdraw that ill-advised comment . . .

Alex

Dear Alex,

Welcome back. Hope the cruise was all you'd hope it would be and more.

The tan looks good from here!

Steve

Dear Steve,

We spent two days in Ft Lauderdale and arrived via the Ft Lauderdale/Hollywood Airport.

Your state is truly wonderful!

We have lots of snow here at home today . . .

Alex

I would think that the Town Hall topic would be a better place for this thread,

David,

Not exactly. If we allowed Italian raviolis and German dumplings it would then be considered an East-N-West thread in the discussions on the Great Onion ... err, Union Agreement.

But not until AFTER the Great Fast since we know the Italians do like to slip in meat into their raviolis. Just ask my wife. The recipe changes everytime she makes them.

See! This is what I mean that it will never work out. Some actually like onions on them WITHOUT the sour cream. Others will even lightly bread their pierogies. I don't think we can ever agree on the ontology of a pierogi that expresses the true orthodox-catholic understanding and/or experience of them. The Catholic way would be to include ALL recipes and declare them equal, including the ones with prunes, cranberries, or chocolate sprinkles.

Dear Cantor Joe,

So I see we're back to the ages-old problem with the "Filling-your-way" and whether or not to include it in the Cream.

(Don't you think the above is worthy of some sort of internet award? ).

Alex

Alex,

Anyone who can eat pierogies filled with prunes and covered with sour cream and chocolate sprinkles should get some sort of award.

Dear Cantor Joe,

If eating such is a kind of "original sin," then what we should be worried about is its impact on our lower nature . . .

Alex

Dear All,

There are those who would say that the great emptiness has followed upon the great filling up. Do you think that they filled up on prune covered in cream cheese with sprinkles?

A veritable cafeteria of choices. What a combination! Is that an innovation?. From whom to whom?

It's nice to know that the depths of the discussion can be plumbed! Onion on top of it all would clinch the deal, don't you think? Onion, who'd a thunk it?

Steve